Kinji Takigawa
is , the Sixth Ranger of the Ninningers. Character History Past Kinji Takigawa was born in America, to a family of Yokai Hunters, living with his father Junji and older brother Reiji. When he was still young, they were killed by the Western Yokai Wolf Man, and thus he aimed to honor them by becoming a stronger Yokai Hunter. Sometime before the series, he met Yoshitaka Igasaki and was so impressed with his ninja techniques that Takigawa begged to become the latter's pupil to fulfill his goals. Igasaki refused on the grounds that Takigawa lacked Ninjaity. However, Takigawa was so insistent that Igasaki finally relented, telling him that he would take on Takigawa as an apprentice, but only if the latter could defeat him in battle, in the hopes that Takigawa would give up upon such an impossible task. After Igasaki left for lands unknown, Takigawa began his own training by copying some of Yoshitaka's ninjutsu. Arrival in Japan As time goes, based on instructions from Yoshitaka's autobiography "I am The LAST NINJA", Kinji commissioned StarNinger's arsenal and OtomoNin Rodeomaru through contacting Tetsunosuke Saika online, and arrived to Japan after finishing his own training. He first appeared on his OtomoNin when witnessing the Ninningers' battle against Youkai Nekomata. Impressed by the Last Ninja's grandchildren, he decides to withdraw. Originally, he tried to search for the End Shuriken in hopes for it's power so that he can defeat Yoshitaka. However to his disappointment, he learns that the Sealing Shuriken-imbued Youkai does not contain such item, evidenced with one Youkai he kills before. Witnessing the Ninningers' effort against Youkai Ittan-momen to claim what appeared to be the End Shuriken from a distance, with it being revealed to be a fake, StarNinger makes himself known to the Ninningers when he aids them in the battle against the enlarged Youkai magician, taking away the magic staff which Ittan-momen used to turn their OtomoNin to stone before destroying the Youkai. Later at night, he attacked Yoshitaka as promised to become his pupil if he won, however Yoshitaka escaped. The injured Yoshitaka then appeared at the dojo, leading Takaharu, Yakumo, and Fuuka to lure and fight the culprit, Kinji, only to be defeated easily. As time went, the Ninningers learned that Kinji is not evil, and is in fact just a fan of Yoshitaka, much like Takaharu. After defeating Daidarabotchi, Kinji received a new challenge from Yoshitaka: defeat his grandchildren, and the apprenticeship would be his. Kinji met Yoshitaka again as he was revealed with the fact that there was a student of Yoshitaka before him, Kyuemon Izayoi, whom defected into the Kibaoni Corps after betraying her former teacher. Also, Yoshitaka even would try to reject Kinji should his heart is easily swayed like Kyuemon. He was later visited by Kyuemon as she offer him an apprenticeship under her wing if Yoshitaka still rejected Kinji, but nonetheless he rejected her offer. After he failed by missing the deadline by a day due to still being on American time, he sailed away on Surfermaru while the Ninningers bid their goodbyes. After his leave, Kinji went on a vacation in Hawaii. However this was cut short due to him being accidentally brought back to Japan while on board Surfermaru during Shurikenjin's battle against Youkai Otoroshi. After the battle he was about to leave again, but the Ninningers manage to convince him to stay while helping him to convince Yoshitaka to take him in as a disciple. They eventually succeeded, after obtaining Lion Ha-Oh convinced Yoshitaka to give himself a second chance to have a disciple. During the hottest point in summer, the boys decided to play a prank on the girls after Nagi overheard Kasumi confide in Fuuka that she was afraid of ghosts. Luring the two to an abandoned building which they claimed to be haunted possibly due to a Yokai, they proceeded to put on spooky costumes, with Kinji dressing as a zombie. Pulling their prank, they were confused to see only a spooked Fuuka run out, especially due to her claiming to see a 'lady ghost' which they did not account for. Takaharu headed back for Kasumi, followed by Yakumo and Kinji. With no word, Nagi and Fuuka found they had been frozen by the Yokai Yuki-Onna, with Fuuka soon following suit. Left alone, Nagi managed to conjure some heat as Kasumi revealed herself having used a decoy, luring the Yokai into a trap. Kinji and the others were thawed by a Fire technique as the Ninningers proceeded to defeat Yuki-Onna. When Yoshitaka announced the mid-point results of the Last Ninja race, Kinji was disappointed to learn that he had only made third-from-last at 4th. In reality, however, "Last Ninja" was actually Nekomata's doppelganger Yokai Mataneko in disguise, who intended to get revenge against the Ninningers by breaking them up, hosting a lightning quiz round when the initial results failed. After the Ninningers noticed signs that something was amiss, Kasumi fetched a second Yoshitaka, exposing the first as a fake via catnip. The Ninningers then transformed to fight him, with Takaharu as AkaNininger Chozetsu defeating Mataneko with Shinobimaru after being accidentally enlarged alongside the Yokai. Afterwards, at the request of his grandchildren, Yoshitaka gave his true mid-point results, stating that they were all still at the starting line. As the Ninningers left to train with their strengthened resolve, Yoshitaka noted that one still remained who wasn't even at the starting point, alluding to Kinji as he remained at the dojo, sensing that the last of the Western Yokai, Wolf Man, was coming. Sure enough, the Wolf Youkai arrived in Japan and the Ninningers proceeded to fight it, but were unable to kill it due to human weapons not being effective. After being knocked out cold and being brought back to the base, Yoshitaka banned him from being a ninja upon learning his drive was revenge. He left some time the next morning to contemplate things, before encountering Kyuemon again. She told him to defeat the Wolf Youkai, proceeding to use the Goton Yo Shuriken to give him a Youkai's power. He left before the process could be finished and joined up with the other Ninningers to fight off the Wolf Youkai. Kinji managed to win while in StarNinger Chozetsu form, however during the battle, a look at his eyes seems to imply some of the energy Kyuemon put on him remained in his body. The Ninningers defeat the Wolf Youkai in Ha-Oh Shurikenjin and upon returning home, Yoshitaka states that, starting the next morning, Kinji will officially be his pupil. Finding Takaharu bringing a girl to the house, Kinji along with Nagi, Yakumo and Kasumi, discussed this new development while eavesdropping on the two, wondering what Fuuka would make of her brother having a girlfriend. Inadvertently revealing themselves when Fuuka arrived, it turned out that Takaharu's 'girlfriend', Kikyo Kousaka, was an old friend of his from his days travelling while training as a ninja, having returned due to the opening of a new ninja school by the ninja master Kiroku Ise, where she was to instruct new students. This intriuged the Ninningers, with Kinji sneaking into the school with Yakumo and Kasumi, they learned that Kiroku was involved with the Kibaoni Army following a skirmish with Masakage Tsugomori, warning Takaharu who came to confront him personally. Kinji and the others later helped the students escape from the school before saving Takaharu, Kikyo and Kiroku from Puppet Ninja Kuroari who had been manipulating Kiroku, with the Ninningers proceeding to defeat the dark ninja. After Takaharu said goodbye to Kikyo, the Ninningers were amused that he misunderstood what Kikyo meant by wondering what they would be when they next met, assuring him that he didn't have to worry about it yet. Beyond StarNinger, Kinji fought through the Yokai horde alongside Kasumi before reuniting with the others as they backed-up Takaharu against Sakuya Kyuemon. With their unwavering resolve, all six Ninningers were able to restore their Nintality, transforming together and overcoming Sakuya Kyuemon, managing to get through to him before he was absorbed by Gengetsu who, as a giant, would be finally destroyed by the Ninningers in Gekiatsu Dai-Oh with help from Kyuemon, who left behind the End Shuriken before passing away. With the End Shuriken in their grasp, the Ninningers used it to wish for a world without the End Shuriken, finally wiping out the Yokai and restoring the damage that had been done to the world. With the title of Last Ninja passed onto them, the six Ninningers elected to go their separate ways and meet back in two years to recollect what they have each done. Naming himself the Last Worldwide Ninja, Kinji returned to America where, inheriting Yoshitaka's business, he opened an oden stand. Zyuohger vs. Ninninger As a memento of their team-up, Misao Mondou made a set of Zyuohger vs. Ninninger cards bearing the heroes' likenesses. Personality As mentioned by Fuuka (and presumably other Ninningers), Kinji bears a likeness to Takaharu, since both are fans of Yoshitaka Igasaki and wishes to follow his path as the Last Ninja. Due to this, he labels himself with the title of Youkai Hunter, hunting Youkai to become stronger. Ever since he learned of Yoshitaka being a Ninja, Kinji displays fanaticism over things related to ninjas and Youkai, even likes to take pictures and footprints of any Youkai he comes across with. Kinji himself is naive, having following others' orders and quickly apologizes should he had made a mistake, even tends to leave his opponents alone if they were busy with their situations. After bonding with Yakumo Katou/AoNinger, Kinji's partnership with the magic ninja, who learned the art of magic at a school in England, is jokingly refered to by the other Ninningers as the , coined by Kasumi, referring to the special relationship between the United States of America and the United Kingdom. At the end of the Last Ninja Race, Yoshitaka notes how Kinji had started with a weak heart but had surpassed it over the course of his tutelage, enabling him to dazzle others on a global scale. Powers and Abilities ;Ninjutsu Expertise :Being trained to be a ninja for many years, he is skilled in ninjutsu and Shuriken Ninja Arts. :; ::Thanks to his Nintality, Kinji can perform a wide variety of abilities through ninja techniques in addition to those accessed using the Ninninger arsenal. Video game appearances Super Sentai Battle Base StarNinger is among the vast pantheon of Rangers which are avaliable in the mobile game Super Sentai Battle Base, with his Chozetsu and Super forms also being avaliable. Shuriken Sentai Ninninger: Game de Wasshoi!! StarNinger appears with his team in Shuriken Sentai Ninninger: Game de Wasshoi!!, where they are controlled by the player to fight the Yokai as on the show. Super Sentai Legend Wars StarNinger appears with his team among all Sentai in the mobile game Super Sentai Legend Wars. Forms Arsenal *Nin Shuriken *Ninja StarBurger *Star Sword-Gun *'Shuriken's Bat' (only in Akaninger vs. Starninger) Mecha (OtomoNin) *BisonKing **OtomoNin Rodeomaru **OtomoNin Bison Buggy *OtomoNin Surfermaru (Given by Yoshitaka as a parting gift after his failed attempt to assassinate the Igasaki cousins) *OtomoNin Magoimaru - Clothes Change= is a special form assumed by StarNinger using the Koromogae Shuriken alongside AkaNinger. In this Clothes Change form, StarNinger dons a cowboy outfit which as he notes sparks his Western spirit. Upon transformation, StarNinger is granted use of a special StarNinger Clothes Change Nin Shuriken which allows him to perform the finisher attack. StarNinger displays incredible power in this form, which is demonstrated while fighting alongside AkaNinger as the two accomplish the feat of destroying a Giant Yokai Gashadokuro without having to summon the OtomoNin. Arsenal *Nin Shuriken **'StarNinger Clothes Change Nin Shuriken' *Ninja StarBurger *Star Sword-Gun This form is exclusive to Shuriken Sentai Ninninger: AkaNinger vs. StarNinger Hundred Nin Battle!. - Chozetsu= is StarNinger's power-up form accessed through the Chozetsu Shuriken and Chozetsu Shoubu Changer with Shishi-Oh's blessing, allowing him to fight with the power of the lion OtomoNin. Arsenal *Ninja Ichiban-Shoubu-Tou **Chozetsu Shoubu Changer **Ninja Ichibantou (loaned from AoNinger) *Star Sword-Gun Mecha *Sky OtomoNin Lion Ha-Ojo This form is exclusive to Episode 27 - Super= The cursed blade of the Murasame turns the user into a Youkai, however, during the second use of the blade, Kinji was able to overcome his fear and doubt and transformed it into the Gekiatsuto and evolved his StarNinger form into Super StarNinger. Arsenal *Gekiatsuto *Star Sword-Gun Appearances: Ninninger Episodes 36, 37, 40, 43, 44 - Magoimaru= Circle"}} is a black carp-based OtomoNin designed by Kinji. It forms the left arm of Gekiatsu Dai-Oh. Appearances: Ninninger Episodes 32-39, 41, 42, 45, 47, Ninnin Girls vs. Boys FINAL WARS }} - Yokai= During the events of Shinobi 27, Kyuemon used the power of the Goton Yo Shuriken to infuse Kinji with the power of a Yokai (Yo-Power) so he could stop Wolf Man. While Kinji left before the process was finished, some of the Yo-Power still remained in this body. After being scratched by Wolf Man, more Yo-Power was added due to the Yokai's ability. This began to turn Kinji into another Wolf Man during Shinobi 35, and this power was amplified through demon sword Murasame's ability. Appearances: Ninninger Episodes 35, 36 }} Ranger Key The is a Ranger Key released as part of the Ranger Key Set: 2000th Edition. It is unknown if it will appear in a future crossover. Of course as with all Ranger Keys, should it exist, it would be able to transform one, i.e. Gokai Silver, into StarNinger. Behind the Scenes Portrayal Kinji Takigawa is portrayed by , who will later play as /Kamen Rider Shinobi/Another Shinobi in . As a child, Kinji is portrayed by . As StarNinger, his suit actor is . Etymology *Kinji's name had the word , signifying his Ninninger color. *Kinji shares a portion of his given name with his father [[Junji Takigawa|Ju'nji']] and the ending with both his father and his older brother [[Reiji Takigawa|Rei'ji']]. Notes *StarNinger so far happens to be: **The first Gold Ranger to be in a ninja-themed Sentai. **The first Sentai Ranger to be based on a cowboy. ***In Power Rangers Ninja Steel, Ninja Steel Gold may not be the first cowboy Ranger, as there was already a team of them before. However, whether they truly count as a cowboy team (as the aforementioned team were using modified Zyuranger/MMPR suits) or not is up for debate. *Similar to a previous Ninja Sentai Sixth Ranger, StarNinger has a weapon based on a stringed instrument native to their homeland. **They also share a Star Motif. *Kinji currently has the earliest debut of any Sixth Ranger, beating the previous earliest by one episode. **Kinji also previously held the earliest debut of a Gold Sentai Ranger (having appeared in the 8th episode of Ninninger) until his record was beaten by Balance, who debuted in the second episode of Uchu Sentai Kyuranger ''in 2017. *He is the first Sentai Ranger after Makito Ozu that can speak perfect English, the others being Jiraiya and Gaku Washio. However, his actor makes Kinji's English more akin to Gaku's finesse with English. **Like Jiraiya, Kinji comes from America and refers to himself as an American Ninja. They also had their family members killed as a child. They also both wear cowboy-style clothes. They are initially enemies of respective teams and a loner-type personality. *Curiously, despite coming from America, Kinji speaks fluent Japanese and broken English instead of the other way around. **It's possible this is because his father and brother also speak fluent Japanese, as in some cases children can pick up their parents' accents, if any. *Unlike other fully-named Japanese Rangers, Kinji's name, when rendered in Japanese, neither follows the normal surname-given name structure (instead following the Western given name-surname order), nor is it written in kanji, but in katakana. Both of these choices are made to highlight Kinji's foreign influences; in Japanese, his surname would likely be written as '滝川''' ( ). *Kinji has similarities with Genta Umemori (and his American counterpart, Antonio Garcia): **They are new warriors of the long-running clan Sentai in their era. **Both are acquaintances of the clan members (Genta with Takeru Shiba and Kinji with Yoshitaka Igasaki). **Both became heroes due to influence from said clan members. **Both their changers are food-based. ***Additionally, both are Japanese food cart/stand chef, sushi for Genta and oden for Kinji (though Kinji started his job at the end of series). **Both are Gold Rangers with blue arms. **Both have Star Motif (Genta with the form of his electronic Mojikara-styled Light Kanji and the star symbol on his cockpits). **Both created their personal robots (though Kinji had outside help with Rodeomaru). *Kinji is the second Ranger to become a werewolf, with the first being Gou Fukami. **He is also the third Ranger who have the half-blood is beast.The first is Eiji Takaoka and second is Gou Fukami. *Kinji is the only Ninninger that isn't known as a colour. *Kinji has a few things in common with Gou Shijima/Kamen Rider Mach. **Both were in America for an undisclosed amount of time. **Both can speak English. **Both fought the red hero at least once. *Kinji shares many similarities with his predecessor, Akira Nijino. **Both Rangers have a monster form. **Akira's monster form is a cowboy, just like StarNinger's theme. **Both Rangers have 2 seperate Super Forms. The first one is an armored form shared with the main Rangers (Hyper Mode and Chozetsu). The second one is a Super/Chou form that is unique to them (Chou ToQ 6gou and Super StarNinger). **Both Rangers have 2 machines as their main mechas (Build Ressha/Drill Ressha and Bison King Buggy and Rodeomaru). Appearances }} See Also References Category:Sentai Gold Category:Sentai Sixth Ranger Category:Sentai Male Rangers Category:Sentai Ninja-themed Rangers Category:Ninningers Category:Super Rangers Category:Sentai Rangers with Mecha forms Category:Sentai Monsters Category:Yokai (Ninninger) Category:Sentai Sword-users Category:Sentai Gun-users Category:Sentai Non-Color Names Category:Werewolves Category:Sentai Uniquely-themed Rangers Category:Sentai Wind-elemental Ranger Category:Sentai Lightning-elemental Ranger Category:Sentai Characters who speak English Category:Sentai Rangers not in Super Sentai Strongest Battle Category:Sentai Anti-Heroes Category:Cowboy Sentai Themed Rangers